The BEAst_in_i: CRØWN of ICE

Winter Siege Prep

15" Deadlift
365 + Black Bands x 3
405 x 2
425 x 1

I seem to be garbage at these elevated pulls.

2" Deficit Axle Deadlift
365 x 1 (Sick grinder; oops)
305 x 5
275 x 8

Pause Cambered Bar Squats
260 x 3
260 x 3
260 x 3
260 x 3

Yoke
440 x 15 ft
370 x 15 ft
340 x 15 ft
340 x 15 ft
240 x 15 ft + 15 ft

So I wanted to hit 400 today. Used a different Yoke than last time. Owner told me it was 200, but turns out it was 240. I didn’t know that til after the 440 set was over. Thats fine I still got it as far as I wanted to. Also just couldn’t get any speed moving. Felt sluggish.

Reverse Hyper
50 x 18
50 x 18
50 x 18

https://www.instagram.com/p/B37tAtYA1o3/

Winter Siege Prep

Strict Log Press (Bands) EMOM (SS) Grenade Handle Pullups
10 x 2 @ 85 + Micro Band (SS) x 2 @ BW

Knee Jumps (SS) Transformer Bar Squats (Bands) EMOM
x 2 @ BW (SS) 12 x 2 @ 185 + Looped MIcro Band + NL Red Band

The red band didn’t do much until right near lockout which is part of what I want out of this variation anyways. I think I had this on a different/harder setting than last time because the difficulty was insanely different. I had to change my game plan during warmups. This ended up being really hard since most rounds I got about 25-30 seconds rest. I proclaimed at the end of the 12th minute, “Fuck yeah I survived”. On another note I really had to push the handles up/out to avoid banging them on my knees/legs

Band Pullaparts (SS) Pause Close Grip Bench
x 20 (SS) 8 x 3 @ 170

45 seconds rest. Right bicep tendon flaring up a bit.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B4AqYh3AwHM/

Winter Siege Prep

Drove 2 hours out to Waterloo Iowa to train at JB Boss Gym with a buddy who is also doing Winter Siege. Had a really good time chatting, and training with him.

Front Squats
250 x 7

PRetty nice rep PR, pretty sure I have never done more than 3 or 4 reps with this weight before. Important to note I used my Elite FTS Knee Sleeves for the first time today.

13" Deadlifts
410 x 2
340 x 8 (Touch and Go)

Atlas Stones
170 x 2 (Extensions)
240 x 1 x 3 (Picks only)
170 x 2 (Extensions)

Happy to be finally be able to fully pick the 240 after a few technique adjustments. Just wasn’t able to get it any further. Its fine, pretty sure I can get it before this training block is over, but whether that translates to 280 deloaded/fresh remains to be seen.

SSB Good Mornings
155 x 7 x 4

I said lets do good mornings for a little volume. He put the weight on and I just went with it. Did better than I thought I would honestly…

Mid back and upperback fried after that. Now to rush off to work haha.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B4FwUrRAbb7/

1 Like

Congrats on the front squat pr! Quick question. What were your lifts when you first started competing in strongman and what do you think you would recommend someone hit before they attempt their first comp?

@cstan097

I Deadlifted 365lbs for 2 reps touch and go, Back Squatted 315lbs for a super grindy single, and strict pressed 135 for 1 rep. My logic is, if I waited to get “strong enough” then I would be waiting forever.

I am of the opinion that if you have interest in competing then do so as soon as possible. Find a competition, sign up, train hard, and show up. Get the first one in and get a taste of competing. You will have an extra little driving force pushing you to get stronger. It will also get you in a position to pick people’s brains in person who are stronger and more experienced than you. Find out where they train, how they train now, how they trained in the past, and other such ideas about becoming bigger, stronger, and better.

I have made a good amount of friends, got to pick the brains of some very strong people, and found a gym to train strongman at from jumping straight into competing without waiting to be strong enough.

Also all competitions have a novice division.

I don’t know where you are at, but most USA competitions are posted on https://www.unitedstatesstrongman.com/upcoming-events
and
https://www.strongmancorporation.com/

I usually find out about a bunch through facebook’s event thing. Once you find a contest through that thing facebook will know you at least have a slight interest and start showing you events too. Like yesterday it showed me a crossfit competition on my news feed because of my interactions with various powerlifting and strongman events on the site. Also once you start making strongman friends and adding them on facebook you will start seeing “Your friend Billy Bob is interested in this event” pop on your feed, and you will be like “Well damn now I am interested too.”

Put yourself out there, you will be pleasantly surprised what you get back.

1 Like

Is ur front squat more knees/toes forward or out?

I point toes out at about 45 degree angle and push knees out.

1 Like

Awesome man. Thanks a lot!

1 Like

Winter Siege Prep

Felt sluggish today. Strength was mostly there, just no pop, no speed, grip strength was down. Couldn’t hold onto the grandfather clock implements today. Probably just some heavy fatigue carry over from Saturday’s session. It was pretty brutal. Especially the fights with the stones.

I am pretty excited to get into some off season training here in a few weeks. I feel like I am building momentum again and that I will smash my goals and make some good progress.

Log Push Press (SS) Grenade Handle Pullups
130 x 4, 4, 4 , 2 (SS) Sets of 2 @ BW

Circus DB
80 x 1, 1, 1
60 x 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3

Took out the EMOM aspect and shaved the pullups to give my recovery some room and be able to focus on my technique development more. One of the other members gave me some tips on the cirucus DB so I really focused on what she said.

Elbow High. Hip Under the implement. Faster Dip.

Axle Strict Press
90 x 6, 6, 6

Power Cleaned from the floor double overhand. Seems dumb to strict such light weight out of the rack like I have been.

Incline DB Bench
55/hand x 8 , 8, 7

Shoulder ROK Swings (SS) Tricep pd
3 x 22 (SS) x 17, 18, 20

Band Pullaparts 2 x 30

https://www.instagram.com/p/B4LHjNtgTWr/

Ideas about Off Season training.

So I have a pretty good idea of how I am going to train this coming off season. I have a 12 week program laid out. Just kind of fine tuning it as this prep gives me more information about where I am at and I come up with new ideas to use the toys that I now have access to.

“Main lifts” are going to be Log Push Press, 13-15" Deadlifts, and Front Squats. I will be hitting some kind of top set at something around 80% for Log and Front Squats and then hitting volume drop sets. For Deadlift training I am going to use a short ROM progression cycle for my top set. The other thing about the Deadlift top set is its going to be against bands. Which with every cycle I go through the band tension gets meaner. Then the volume work is going to Deficit Axle pulls with straight weight

Volume drop sets will be in 3 week intervals. High set moderate reps. Instead of just hammering high reps again I want to try this out. Still going to get decent volume in but hopefully give me chance to dial things in. I do think this will be more advantageous for Deadlifts and Overhead especially. I have nothing against high reps. Just trying out something else this go round. Trying to figure out what works and what doesn’t. Drop set progressions is going to be 10 sets of 4, then 11 sets of 3, 12 sets of 2, and 13 sets of 1 then move back to top and run again.

This doesn’t cover the GPP day. Which is pretty similar to how it now with some exceptions. Changing the Overhead to Axle against bands. For the first 3 weeks the lowerbody GPP movement is going to be Lunges with the Transformer bar or SSB. Which transitions back to the Transformer bar against bands on the 4th week on.

What I am thinking this will all look like

Day 1:
Log Push Press (SS) Griplement Pullups
AMRAP @ 80%
10 x 4 @ 60%

Circus DB (SS) Pullups
6 x 2

DB Incline Bench (SS) Band Pullaparts
Work up to a top of 12, 10, or 8 with a few reps in the tank. Then attempt to match two more times.

Shoulder ROK Swings (SS) OH Tricep Ext
3 sets.

Day 2:
ROM Progression Deadlifts 13-15"
AMRAP against Bands.

4 week cycle. Each completed cycle use a stronger band. Each run of the program revert to weakest band and add weight to the bar.

2" Axle Deficit DL
10 x 4 @ 60%

Cambered Bar Pause Squats
3 x 5, 4 x 3, 5 x 2

Yoke or Farmers (Down) + Sandbag or Keg (Back)
3 sets “Speed”
3 sets “Speed” + 20lbs
3 sets “Over Speed”

The idea of the third week is to try and use speeds I can’t use normally when using the implements by slightly front loading the implements to pull me forward more. Figure start light, build speed to start so I don’t bury myself with heavy moving event training and building some GPP.

Reverse Hypers
3 x 15, 3 x 18, 3 x 20.

Same weight each week. Once 3rd week is completed go back down to x 15 and add weight.

Day 3:
Axle Strict Press + Bands (SS) Griplement Pullups
8 x 2, 8 x 3

Same Weight both weeks. Add weight once week 2 is completed. EMOM.

*SSB Lunge + Bands (SS) Knee Jump
10 x 2/side (SS) x 2

Only first 3 weeks. 45 second rest

*Transformer Bar Squats + Bands (SS) Knee Jump
10 x 2 (SS) x 2\

Weeks 4 -12.

Cable Rows (SS) Pause CG Bench
5 x 10, 5 x 12, 5 x 15 (SS) 5 x 4, 5 x 3, 5 x 2

Day 4:
Front Squats
AMRAP @ 80%
10 x 4 @ 60%

*RDL
3 x 20, 3 x 18, 3 x 15

First 3 weeks only

*Pause Axle Deadlift
3 x 5, 4 x 3, 5 x 2

Weeks 4 -12

SSB Good Mornings + Bands

Not entirely sure how to do this one. Probably 3 high rep sets.

Nothing set in stone. But this is my preliminary plan. At the moment. Other idea I had was to do the good mornings on the GPP day in stead of the Squats and do some kind of loading event work on this day in that slot. For now just running it like this and maybe on the re run try that as an alternative.

Sounds solid. How are you planning to progress your top set?

Can’t add weight if I don’t hit 8 reps for Log and Squats. Once I hit 8 reps then add 5lbs for Log, and 10 lbs for Squats.

Deadlifts wont add weight for 12 weeks but the height undulates and band tension increases within that 12 weeks.

Cool. Sounds like a good progression.

Winter Siege Prep

11" Deadlift
365 x 3 + Blue Bands
405 x 1
415 x 0

405 was slow off the mats but felt like a good speed through the rep once it got going.

2" Deficit Axle Deads
245 x 1 (DOH)
335 x 5
215 x 2 x 3 (Speed)

Paused Duffalo Bar Squats
290; x 2, 2 , 2

Yoke
500 x 10ft
180 x 20 ft, 20 ft, 20ft (Over speed)

https://www.instagram.com/p/B4NfTvYgJWq/

So I am actually taking a different approach than originally planned. I am hiring a coach and going to be cutting down a bit. I had an in body scan done and my body fat percent is way too high. I am fluffier than I thought It measured me at 28% body fat. Even with the 2-3% margin for error that’s pretty high. I was under the delusion that I was closer to 18%

You don’t look anywhere close to 28%. That’s crazy.

I imagine I am probably 22-24% in actuality. 28% is absurd. Even still I am fluffier than I should be right now plus it gives me more room to grow into my ideal weight class.

What weight class are you in?

Middle weight. I weigh in the middle of my weight class, since on average I am 205. If I cut about 20lbs I can probably shed a lot of junk fat and I would be in shooting range of being able to compete as light weight for a little bit too.

Sounds like a solid plan.